Valves for removable tank of steam iron

ABSTRACT

A steam iron comprising a housing (1) containing a removable water supply chamber (7), a distribution chamber (6) containing a drip feed device (15) and having an opening (16) connected to the water supply chamber (7), two valves (18 and 19) provided at the opening (16) and the water supply chamber (7) respectively, and two reciprocal valve actuation members (20 and 21) for actuating the valves (18 and 19) when the chamber (7) is secured within the housing (1). One valve (18) comprises a movable plug (22) and a stationary seat (23), while the other valve (19) comprises a stationary plug (24) and a movable seat (25), and the two reciprocal actuation members (20 and 21) are designed to engage both the movable plug (22) and the movable seat (25) when the chamber (7) is secured within the housing (1).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a steam iron comprising a casing in which thereis mounted removably a water reservoir which comprises means for lockingthe reservoir in the casing, a filling orifice formed in its top part,and a water outlet orifice which is formed in its bottom part, adistribution chamber in which a drip feed device is mounted and theopening of which is intended to communicate with the water outletorifice through a pipe, two valves being fitted respectively to theopening in the distribution chamber and the water outlet orifice, andtwo reciprocal means for actuating the said valves suitable for openingthe said valves when the reservoir is locked in the casing.

In steam irons of known types, when the removable water reservoir istaken out, the valves used must completely close off the opening in thedistribution chamber and the water outlet orifice in the reservoir inorder to avoid any watertightness problem, but the valves do not bythemselves ensure perfect watertightness and generally necessitate theuse of sealing joints. In addition, when the removable reservoir is putin position, the watertightness must be perfect in order to prevent anyleakage detrimental to the ironing conditions. Spring-operated valves,opening automatically when the reservoir is in place and closing whenthe reservoir is taken out, are generally used, but these valvesdeteriorate in use, no longer completely fulfilling their sealingfunction. All the existing solutions require many parts and aredifficult to implement, particularly with regard to assembly. Thesesolutions also have the disadvantage of increasing the cost price of theiron.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the invention is to remedy the above-mentioned drawbacks byusing a connection between the distribution chamber and the removablereservoir which is both simple and economical in design and whichensures complete watertightness when the removable reservoir is takenout of the iron or when the reservoir is put in position.

According to the invention, one of the valves has a movable shutter anda fixed seat, the other valve has a fixed shutter and a movable seat,and the two reciprocal actuating means are adapted for coming intoengagement, when the reservoir is locked in the casing, on the one handwith the movable shutter and on the other hand with the movable seat.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the valve with thefixed shutter and movable seat comprises a sleeve mounted so as to bemovable and having an annular shoulder forming the movable seat for thefixed shutter and able to occupy two positions in which either thesleeve occupies a first position in which the reservoir is disconnectedfrom the casing and the movable seat is in contact with the fixedshutter to form a watertight joint, or the sleeve occupies a secondposition in which the reservoir is fixed by the locking means and thefixed shutter opens the movable shutter so that the water in thereservoir flows freely into the distribution chamber.

By virtue of the invention, the number of parts used to provide on theone hand the watertightness and on the other hand the connection betweenthe distribution chamber and the removable reservoir, is reduced to oneonly, which on the one hand simplifies the assembly and manufacture ofthe iron and on the other hand reduces the cost price of the said iron.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will moreover emergefrom the following description, given by way of non-limitative example,with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial view in cross section of a steam iron according tothe invention;

FIG. 2 is a cut-away view of the enlarged lower part of the steam ironaccording to the invention, in which the removable reservoir is notfully in position in the casing of the iron;

FIG. 3 is a cut-away view of the enlarged lower part of the ironaccording to the invention, in which the removable reservoir is lockedin the casing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to FIG. 1, a steam iron comprises a casing 1 provided with ahandle 2, a hot sole plate 3 of a known type, fed by an electric cable4, a thermal shield 5 separating the sole plate 3 from the casing 1 andreceiving a distribution chamber 6, and a water reservoir 7 mountedremovably in the casing 1. The water reservoir 7 comprises means 8 forlocking the said reservoir 7 in the casing 1, a filling orifice 9 formedin the top part 10 of the reservoir 7 and a water outlet orifice 11which is formed in its lower part 12.

The locking means 8 include flexible hooks 13 fixed to the walls of thereservoir 7, which come into engagement in notches (not shown) formed inthe casing 1 so that the reservoir 7 is securely locked in the casing 1of the iron when it is correctly positioned. The hooks 13 are able to bedisconnected from the casing 1 of the iron by the actuation of operatingbuttons 14 integral with the hooks 13.

The distribution chamber 6, fixed for example to the thermal shield 5and in which a drip feed device 15 is mounted, has an opening 16designed to communicate with the water outlet orifice 11 through a pipe17. The steam iron also comprises two valves 18 and 19 fittedrespectively to the opening 16 in the distribution chamber 6 and thewater outlet orifice 11, and two reciprocal means 20 and 21 foractuating the valves 18 and 19, adapted for opening the valves 18 and 19when the reservoir 7 is locked in the casing 1.

According to the invention, one of the valves 18 has a movable shutter22 and a fixed seat 23, the other valve 19 has a fixed shutter 24 and amovable seat 25, and the two actuation means 20 and 21 are adapted forcoming into engagement, when the reservoir 7 is locked in the casing 1,on the one hand with the movable shutter 22 and on the other hand withthe movable seat 25.

The valve 19 with the fixed shutter 24 and movable seat 25 comprises asleeve 26 mounted so as to be movable and having an annular shoulder 27forming the movable seat 25 for the fixed shutter 24 and able to occupytwo positions in which either the sleeve 26 occupies a first position inwhich the water reservoir is disconnected from the casing 1 and themovable seat 25 is in contact with the fixed shutter 24 to form awatertight joint, or the sleeve occupies a second position in which thereservoir 7 is fixed by the locking means 8 and the fixed shutter 24opens the movable shutter 25 so that the water in the reservoir 7 flowsfreely into the distribution chamber 6.

The valve 19 is fitted to the opening 16 in the distribution chamber 6and the valve 18 is fitted to the water outlet orifice 11 in thereservoir 7. The valve 19 also has an annular base 28 fitted into theopening 16 as far as a stop 29 formed on the base 28 and a column 30which is fixed partially onto the base 28 and which is integral with thefixed shutter 24.

According to a preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, thesleeve 26 is formed by a flexible piece in an elastomer body, forexample silicone. The sleeve 26 fits onto the opening 16 in thedistribution chamber 6 as far as another stop 31 formed on the periphery32 of the opening 16. In this way, the sleeve 26 covers the valve 19 andoccupies on the one hand an extended idle position in a first positionand on the other hand a retracted position in the second position.

The actuation means 20 and 21 comprise on the one hand a finger 33 fixedto the fixed shutter 24, directed outwards and designed to open themovable shutter 22 in the extended idle position and, on the other hand,a spout 34 integral with the fixed shutter 23 and the end 35 of which isadapted for coming into contact with the free end 17' in the retractedposition.

In order to give a better understanding of the invention, thefunctioning of the iron according to the invention which is illustratedin FIGS. 2 and 3, where the same reference numerals designate the samecomponents, will be described.

According to FIG. 2, before the complete fitting of the removablereservoir 7 into the casing 1 of the steam iron, the sleeve 26 occupiesan extended idle position corresponding to the first position. In thisfirst position, the end 17' of the sleeve 26 is in contact with thefixed shutter 24 through the annular shoulder 27 formed inside thesleeve 26, thus closing off the distribution chamber 6 in a watertightmanner. This complete watertightness thus prevents any flow of waterinside the casing which on the one hand would be detrimental to theservice life of the iron and on the other hand unpleasant for the user.

According to FIG. 3, when the removable reservoir 7 is locked in thecasing 1, the spout 34 of the fixed seat 23 comes into contact with thefree end 17' of the flexible sleeve 26 and exerts a force on the sleeve26 so as to cause it to occupy a retracted position corresponding to thesecond position. In this way, the annular shoulder 27 is no longer inabutment against the fixed shutter 24, which thus leaves clear a passagespace 36. At the same time, the finger 33 fixed to the fixed shutter 24pushes the movable shutter 22 of the valve 18, which is fitted with asealing joint 37 completely closing off the removable reservoir 7 whenthe reservoir 7 is not locked in the casing 1 of the iron. The sealingjoint 37 no longer bearing against the internal part of the water outletorifice 11 in the reservoir 7, the water in the reservoir 7 flowsthrough the water outlet orifice 11, enters the sleeve 26 through thepassage space 36 and emerges into the opening 16 in the distributionchamber 6. The sleeve 26 thus fulfils the role of the pipe 17.

By virtue of the embodiment of the invention, the sleeve 26 by itselfprovides, on the one hand, the closure of the distribution chamber 6when the removable reservoir 7 is not fitted into the casing 1 of theiron and, on the other hand, the watertightness of the pipe 17 when thereservoir 7 is locked in the casing of the iron.

We claim:
 1. Steam iron comprising a casing in which a water reservoiris removably mounted, means for locking the reservoir in the casing, afilling orifice formed in a top part of said reservoir, and a wateroutlet orifice formed in a bottom part of said reservoir, a distributionchamber in which a drip feed device is mounted, said distributionchamber having an opening which communicates with the water outletorifice through a pipe, a first valve being fitted to the water outletorifice, a first reciprocal means for actuating the first valve suitablefor opening the first valve when the reservoir is locked in the casing,a second valve being provided to close the opening, a second reciprocalmeans for actuating the second valve, one of the two valves having amovable shutter and a fixed seat, the other valve having a fixed shutterand a movable seat, and the two reciprocal actuating means being adaptedto come into engagement, when the reservoir is locked in the casing,with the movable shutter and with the movable seat.
 2. Steam ironaccording to claim 1, wherein the valve with the fixed shutter andmovable seat comprises a sleeve mounted so as to be movable and havingan annular shoulder forming the movable seat for the fixed shutter, saidsleeve adapted to occupy two positions in which in a first position thereservoir is disconnected from the casing and the movable seat is incontact with the fixed shutter to form a watertight joint, and in asecond position the reservoir is fixed by the locking means and thefixed shutter opens the movable shutter so that water in the reservoirflows freely into the distribution chamber.
 3. Steam iron according toclaim 2, wherein the second valve comprises the sleeve and is fitted tothe opening in the distribution chamber, and the first valve with themovable shutter and fixed seat is fitted to the water outlet orifice inthe reservoir.
 4. Steam iron according to claim 3, wherein the sleevefitted to the opening is formed by a flexible piece which fits onto saidopening, which covers the second valve having the fixed shutter andmovable seat, and which occupies an extended idle position in the firstposition, and a retracted position in the second position.
 5. Steam ironaccording to claim 4, wherein the flexible piece is formed in anelastomer body.
 6. Steam iron according to claim 4, wherein the sleevehas a free end, and in the extended idle position, said free end is incontact with the fixed shutter through the annular shoulder formedinside the sleeve, thus closing off the distribution chamber in awatertight manner, and in the retracted position, the water outletorifice in the reservoir exerts a force on said free end of the sleeve,releasing the annular shoulder of the fixed shutter and creating apassage space.
 7. Steam iron according to claim 6, wherein the tworeciprocal actuation means comprise a finger fixed to the fixed shutter,directed outward and designed to open the movable shutter in the firstposition, and a spout integral with the fixed seat and having an endwhich is adapted to come into contact with a free end of the sleeve inthe second position.